Improvement



UNITED STATES JOSEPH SHORT, OF NEV YORK, II. Y.,

PATENT EEICE.

ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES SHORT, OF

SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS.

liViPROVEM ENT iN KNAPSACKS.

To all wtont it' may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH SHORT, of the city, county, and State of New York,have invented a new and useful or Improved Knapsack; and I do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l represents a rear elevation of the knapsack; Fig. 2, an inner side view of it, and shows the straps buckled as in position when on the body of a person. Fig. 3 is a top view, and Fig. 4 a bottom view, of the knapsack. Fig. 5 is a view of one of the adj ustable shoulder-straps. Fig. G is a View of the neck-strap.

The nature of my invention consists in the arrangement ot' the back and shoulder straps E E, the neckstrap F, and the bottom straps h h, the same being constructed and applied together and to the bottoni part ot the knapsack, so that the whole weight of it is brought directly upon the shoulders and across the back of the neck. The back-straps, passing over the shoulders in a direct vertical line with the center of the shoulders and hips, serves to support the weight to the best advantage, and by this peculiar connection with the neck-strap tend to draw the shoulders back and expand rather than' contract the lungs.

In carrying out my invention I construct the frame A of the knapsack ot leather or other suitable material and of a rectangular shape and secure the parts together in any suitable manner. This frame I cover with one piece of canvas. Commencing with the top of the rear part ot' the frame A, it is carried entirely around the said frame to the place of starting, and there secured by aline of sewing. From thence it extends down a sufficient distance to form a cover or iiap B to the sack. The widt-h of the canvas should be equal to the width of the knapsack plus onehalt the width of its ends, in order that the two parts ot' the canvas covering the ends may be turned down and sewed together along the middle of the ends. Next the corners are to be sewed together and the edges of the flap turned down and sewed, and next the canvas is secured to the frame by means of copper nails, as seen in the drawings, and iinally a rectangular hole is cut through the rear part of the sack for the purpose of getting at the interior thereof. Furthermore, two bands or straps a h are fastened to the top of the sack and extend over the iiap B, and are fastened to two other straps o d by means ot buckles e f, as seen in Fig. 4.

D is the handle ot the knapsack, which i properly secured to the top part ot it.

E E are two adjustable bands, which are attached to the lower inner edge of the knapsack, as seen in the drawings, and extend upward through loops g g and over the buckle into the broad shoulder or neck belt F. The

shoulder or neck belt extends downward and is attached at its ends to two other bands h h, as seen in Fig. 2. In this peculiar manner of seizing the bottoni ot the knapsack, and the above-described application and arrangement of the straps or bands E E and F, the knapsack when on the body of a person is always maintained in whatever position on the back it is placed, and is not continually settling down and chaiing the back of the wearer.

In my arrangement of the strap F, instead of carrying it across the breast, as in the English and French style, I carry my band around the neck, thereby bringing the greater part of the weight of the knapsack across the shoulders, where it should be borne; and, besides, the old breast-band tends to confine the lungs, especially when traveling up an ascent, whereas my vertical sh oulder-bands E E are so arranged as to come in direct line with the center of the shoulders and hips, and by the connection with the band F, as seen in the drawings, serve to draw the shoulders back and expand the lungs; and, besides, by my peculiar arrangement and construction of the bands E E, I am enabled to change the knapsack into several different positions, either 'for allowing the air to pass under it or for convenience in carrying it, first, by drawing the strap tight, so as to bring the knapsack into the ordinary position for traveling; second, by withdrawing the adjustable straps E E and attaching their lower ends to the guides 7c k, as seen in dotted lines in Fig. 2,

2 carac the lower part of the knapsack will bc thrown out from the back of the wearer and allow thc air to freely circulate underneath; third, by withdrawing the straps E E from the loops or guides Z Z the knapsaek will be elevated some three inches on the back; fourth, by drawing out the adjustable straps E E between the lower part of the sack and the adjacent loops 7c 7a, I can place under them a blanket, which not only allows the air to circulate underneath the knapsack, but serves as a cushion to prevent the spine from being chafed. Thus it will be evident that I obviate the defects of the common knapsack, viz: its slipping down and chafing the back of the wearer, the pressing the breast-band upon the lungs, and the stopping of the circulation of the blood by ARTHUR NEILL, F. P. HALE, J r. 

